Process and apparatus for forming and annealing sheet glass



March 8, 1932. J. L. DRAKE 1 PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING AND ANNEALING SHEET GLASS Filed Sept. 18, 1929 ,1 o 42:13: f a m if? f o I N o 0 MN a Q o- Z o l o, I 9&2:

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a o gwwmtoz Q ofohn L.Drake o o 8% WM LL3-L I Patented Mar. 8, 193? leer at the same high rate of speed at which successive sheets of glass are adapted to be or roLEno ,;oHIo-;A.oonronazrroiv or omo IEROGESS AunArrAn-Azrusrort For-M ne Ann- ANNnALINc- SHEET GLASS appliance .filed Se tember s, 19a9. ;sria1'n'b. 393,533.

The present invention relates to an im- .proved process and apparatus for forming and anneal ng sheet or plate glass.

According to the invention, a' plurality of 1 formed by an intermittent casting and roll- It is desirable, in order to ity of the glass sheets, that they be formed at a relatively high rateof speed such as for example, approximately sixty feet per minute, although thisgspeed may beincreased or decreased if preferred. A considerable length of time is ordinarily required to properly anneal the glass sheets and. were the sheet carried entirely through the annealing it .was formed, it will .be apparent that the leer would necessarily have to be of considerable length. However, it is preferred, although not necessary, that the annealing op- "eration be a continuous --one, or, otherwise tages incident to the rapid reduction ofthe molten glass to sheet formand likewise those 'ly in theprovision of a process and apparatus wherein the glasssheets may be formed at a stated, that the glass be kept in constant motion until it is properly annealed or at least until it;has become substantially set.

The object of this invention resides bro-ad relatively high rate of speed and subse 'quently continuously annealed, while, trave eling at a speed relativelyless than theform ing speed- Thus, the processand apparatus 1 a a I :form': This mass of molten glass is'preferably supplied to the receiver -when the same is in a substantiallyhorizontalposition as indicated by thebroken lines in Figql, from a herein provided will embodythose advanadvantages which result'fromslower anif nealing of the glass. g 7

Another object of the invention. is the provision of such a process: and apparatus wherein successive sheets of ,glass are formed and carried continuously forwardly into and through an annealing leer, the sheet-- being caused to travel at j variable speeds subsequent to its formation but prior to an?" setting of the sheet'may be effected and the" annealing thereof may be both facilitated and improved. l Q

A further object of the invention is to'pro vide such a process and apparatus wherein portion of the apparatus, and

JOHN L. DRAKE, or TOLEDO, OHIO, AssIcmo To LIBBEY-OWENS-FORID GLAss COMPANY,

the gla ss sheet is formed at a relatively high rate ofjs'pee d after which it is caused't'o then.'greatlyjincreased above its forming" speed to effect the transfer thereof quickly int'o'an annealing leer afterwhich'the speed of travelof the sheet is a 'ainreduced and the said sheet carried through'the leer at a speed relatively less than its, speed of format1on,"- V I 7 Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent during the 'course'of' the following description when Fig. 1 IS a vertical longitudinalsection through 1 the forward end portion of appa- 'ratus provided by the present invention,

. Fig, 2 is a similar View ofthe rear end Figs. 3 and'are plan views of Figs. and

'2 respectively.

Referring to the drawings, the means herein employed in the formation of the glass sheets comprises a receiver or support 10 upon which is adapted to bed'ep'os'ited' a mass of molten glass lf'to be reduced to sheet.

suitable .pot'or receptacle (not shown) but 'erably melted andrefined. Associated with one end ofthe receiver 10 are the substantially superimposed forming rolls 12 and 13, spaced fromjone another nto, create 'a'sheet forming pass therebetween'throu gh which the molten glass 11 is moved and reduced to sheet 14-: of substantially predetermined and uniform thickness. The receiver 10 and upper forming rolll2 are preferably mounted sothat'they are'movable as a unit about the axis of rotation of the lower forming roll 13 so that after theglassis'deposited upon takenfin'connection with the accompanying "drawings. f Y

within which the molten glass has been'prefthe receiver 10 while in a horizontal position, said receiver may be tilted to the position indicated by the full lines to advance the molten glass downwardly between the forming rolls. An inclined runway or apron it may be positioned as shown to receive the glass sheet 15 issuing from between the forming rolls and to guide and supportthe' same during its inclined downward travel.

As brought out above, it is desirable that the glass sheet be formed at a relatively high rate of speed and the forming .rolls12 and 13 are consequently rotated in a manner that their peripheral speed'will be such that'they will act to rapidly reducethe mass of molten glass 11 to'sheet form. One ofthe forming rolls may be positively driven such as through a chain drive 16 and the other forming roll is driven from the positively driven roll through intermeshing gears 17 carried by the roll shafts. j

Positioned to receive the sheet 15 from the inclined'runway 14: is a receiving conveyor table or cooling section A composed of a plurality of horizontally arranged rolls 18 carrled by shafts ournaled 1n the slde members 19, supported by the vertical uprights or columns 20. The rolls 18 are all adapted to be driven in unison at the same speed and to accomplish this, the shaft supporting each roll may have keyed thereto a sprocket (not shown) and about all of the sprockets may be trained a single sprocket chain 21 driven from a variable speed motor 26 or any other suitable source of power.

Arranged atthe end of the cooling section A is a leer 22 within which is mounted a large number of rolls 23 in horizontal alignment with the rolls 18 of conveyor table A.

The rolls 23 in leer 22 are divided into two units or sections B and C, the section B being termed the transfer or intermediate section and C the annealing section. The rolls 23 of the transfer section B are also driven in unison at the same speed from a variable speed motor 27 through a sprocket chain 2 1 trained about sprockets (not shown) keyed to the roll shafts. The rolls of the annealing section C are likewise rotated in unison by a sprocket chain 25 driven from a motor 28; Thus, the rolls of cooling section A, transfer sect-ion B, and annealing section C are driven independently of one another.

. Briefly stated, the rolls of the cooling sec- The rolls of the transfer section B are adapt ed to be driven at a high speed equal to the slower speed which is equal or substantially equal to the speed of the rolls of the annealing section 0 which are adapted to be driven at all times at a constant speed.

In carrying out the invention into practice, a mass of molten glass 11 is first deposit- .ed upon the receiver 10, after which the re- 'to approximatelyfifteen feet per minute and allowed to run at this speed for a short time,

say about twominutesfin order to permit the l'lGSllGCl cooling andsettingof the glass sheet.

The principal advantage'of the slow speed during cooling is-to allow for suficient cooling time without the necessity of adding length to the leer. When the sheethas become cooled and set to the desired extent, the speed of the cooling section A is increased to a speed greaterthan the rolling speed such as for examplethree hundred feet per minute in order to quickly "transfer-the glass sheet'from conveyor tableA into the leer 22 where it will be received upon the rolls of the intermediate or transfer section B. During the time the glass is being transferred onto section B from section A, the rolls of section B will be synchronized with the rolls of section A or, in other words, will also be traveling at the rateofapproximately three hundred feet per minute. After the glass sheet has been transferred onto section B,

'thelatteris slowed down to approximately fifteen feet per minute, and theglass passed onto the rolls of-section C which always travel at a constant speed which is the same or 'slightlygreater than the slow speed of the transfer section B, such as for example sixteenfeet per minute. The sheet is then carried at thisspeed through the annealing leer toefiectthe proper annealing thereof. By

driving the rolls of the annealing section C at sagging thereof. -The exact-relative speeds ofthe several sections as given above are by way of example only since such speeds may be varied as desired without departing from the spirit of the'invention.

It is to be understood that the form of the inventionherewith shown and described is to be taken as the preferred embodiment of the same, 'andthat various changes in the high speed of section A and at a relatively shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Iclaim: V 1. The process of'forming an'cl'annealing sheet glass, consisting in reducing a mass of molten glass to sheet format a relativelyhigh rate of speed, annealing the sheet while traveling at a relatively slower speed, and in successively decreasing and then increasing the speed of travel of the sheet subsequent to 1 its formation and prior to the annealing thereof. 7 t

2. The process of forming and annealimg sheet glass, consistingin reducing a mass of molten glass to sheet form at a predetermined rateof speed, decreasingthe speed of the sheet subsequent to its" formation to allow the desired cooling. and setting thereof, in then increasing the speed of the sheet to effect its transfer into an annealing chamber, and

, in finally decreasing the speed of the sheet creased speed.

and annealing it'while traveling at this dev 3. The process of forming and annealing o sheet glass, consisting in rolling a mass of v V molten glass to sheet formata relatively high rate of speed, reducing the speed of travel" of the sheet subsequent to its formation-to 7 allow the desired cooling and setting thereof, then increasing the speed oftravel of the sheet to a point above the rolling speedto.

effect its transfer intoan annealing chamber, and in finally reducing the speed of the-sheet point below the rolling speed and annealing it while traveling at such speed. I

4. The process of forming and annealing sheet glass, consisting in reducing a mass of" molten glass to sheet form at a predetermined rate of speed, annealing the sheet while traveling at a relatively slower speed and in causincluding a receiving section adapted to travel atthespeed of formation of the sheet and also at a slower speed and a higher speed, a

transfer section adapted to travel at a speed,

equal to the high speed of the receiving section and at a lower speed, and an annealing section traveling at a constant speed approxfer section. 8. In apparatus imately'that of the slow speed ofsaid trans for forming and anneal- I ing sheet glass, means for reducing a mass of.

molten glassto sheetform, an annealing-leer, and horizontal conveying meansfor receiving the sheet from the formingmeans and carrying it into and through said leer including a receiving section, means for driving said atransfer section for receiving the sheetlfrom ."section at the speed of formation of the sheet 1 85.

the receiving section,'means for driving the transfer section at a speed equal to the high speed of the receiving section and'at a lower speed, an annealing section for, receiving the sheet from the transfer section, and means" fordriv'ing the annealing section at a constant speed approximately equal tothe slower.

speed of said transfer section. V

Signedat Toledo, in the county of Lucas ber 1929 ing the sheet to travel subsequent to its formation and prior to the annealing. thereof;

at a plurality of intermediate speeds, one of r 7 said speeds being slower than the speed of formation and one formation,

greater than the speed of I 5. In apparatus for. forming and annealing sheet glass, means for reducing a mass of molten glass to sheet form, an anneallngleer,

and horizontal-conveying means for receiving 1 s annealing section.

a 6; In apparatus for formingand anneal- I ing sheet glass, means for reducing a mass; of

" molten glass to sheet form, an annealing leer, 55

and horizontal conveying means for receiving the sheet from the forming'means and carrying it into and through said leer including a variable speed receiving section exteriorly of the leer, a variable speedtransfer section within the leer, and a constant speed annealing section also within said leer. 7 In apparatus for forming and anneal;

ing sheet glass, means for reducing a mass .of molten glass to sheet form, an annealing leer, and horizontal conveyingmeans for '95 i and State of Ohio',- this 14th day of Septem 1 i JOHN LIDRAKE, 1 

